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Meramada Tribe
The Meramada Tribe (Korebi: Mera Mada, lit. "tall ones") are a hunter-gatherer tribe in the Bayawa forest. They speak the Korebi language and are part of the larger Korebi ethnicity (~4,000 people). The tribe is made up of 47 people situated in houses in the village of Eshika along the river of the same name. Unlike most neighbouring Korebi tribes (who the Meramada are often in conflict with), they are completely non-nomadic. The Meramada know these nomadic Korebi as the "Wetsi", translating to something like "savages" or "less civilised people". The village of Eshika is made up of 11 wooden houses as well as small shrine-hut. The tribesmen hunt for deer and wild boar in the forest, though more commonly they focus on fishing in the river and shooting of birds using bows. Unlike the more egalitarian nomadic Korebis, the Meramada are ruled by a hereditary chief who is in charge of guiding the tribe and maintaining the shrine. Origin About 200 years ago, all Korebi peoples were nomadic, living on the forest fringes of Palab civilisation. However, increasing Palabisation (via contact, trade and missionary work) has caused the Meramada and some other Korebis to become sedentary. Oral tradition describes how the Meramada tribe were Wetsi (savages) only 8 generations ago. Culture The villagers have a very hierarchical culture, with religious authority, age, gender and other things affecting your position. Religion The Meramada pantheon is unique and portrays animist Korebi influences, as well as significant influences from nearby agricultural civilisations. These influences are a result of trade relations with the settled people, as well as a form of missionary activity from those people. The concept of shrines is a recent influence. Traditional Korebi beliefs shy away from idolatry, and the current shrine in Eshika was constructed only 40 years ago by missionaries. The term "Wetsi" is often used to describe traditional or old-fashioned Korebi customs in general. Wetsi animism considers there to be spirits/Gods (known as Amis) in almost everything, with some very important (such as the sun spirit). This concept of near-infinite Amis persists into modern beliefs, but is outweighed by the presence of a pantheon of major Amis. The following list shows those major Amis, those marked with a "*" are remnants of Wetsi Amis. * Waya (God of the Sun, head of the pantheon and father of most other Amis) * Liray* (Goddess of the Moon, wife of Waya) * Magin* (God of plants) * Haygi* (God of rivers) * Agwan (God of the sea) * Palam (God of love) * Ahra (God of fire) * Pagen (God of animals) * Agak* (God of fish and birds) * Papan* (God of men) * Aman* (Goddess of women) The creation story describes how each of the children of Waya and Liray lived separately in their own universe (one of fire, one of sea etc.), until Aman seduced Papan, joining the universes of men and women. The children of these men and women demanded the joys of the other universes. It was agreed that they would get them, and thus the world was created, but in return all humans would eventually die and be carried by Aman (as punishment for seducing Papan) to the sky where they would live forever as stars. The shrine in Eshika is dedicated to Waya and Haygi, and features a wooden statue of them inside. Villagers will burn food offerings in the shrine. Outside the shrine is a large cleared area where festivals take place. Eshika village All of the tribe live in the village, which is situated on the West bank of the Eshika river. It is about 10km North along the river from Palab farms, but the village is surrounded by dense forest. To the West and North live other Korebi tribes, while Mrio speakers inhabit the South and East. Many Mrio villages along the river to the South have been Palabised to the extent that none still speak Mrio, instead speaking the Palab language. This Palabisation is present in Eshika too. Almost all of the men are fluent or semi-fluent into the language, although Korebi is still spoken in day-to-day life. The village has 12 buildings. Six of these are traditional Korebi round-huts, while six are recent Palab-style square houses, mostly in the South of the village. The current chief of the village (Tesifa) lives in a Palab house close to the river. The South of the village has established gravel paths, while the North is mostly grass tracks. The village features two open communal grass areas. One, in front of the shrine, is used for religious rituals and festivals. The other is behind the houses next to the river, where women cook daily meals together (the village eats as a group, as opposed to in separate families). Most of the village is protected by a wooden-pole fence surrounding eight of the 12 buildings, to protect against attacks from Korebi nomads. There is a small boat-house by the river where boats are stored. These boats are used to travel South along the river to trade in the towns. Language The people of the tribe speak Meramadese, a dialect of Korebi with influences from the agricultural language of Palab, particularly in words related to trade, animals and religion. An alphabetical writing system has been introduced to the village by Palab missionaries. It is understood by most villagers and can be seen on houses, as well as on wooden tablets stored in the shrine. Demographics The village has 57 people, 30 female and 27 male. 25 are children (under 15) and 8 are elderly (over 60).